Because being Mormon fixes everything, right? right?

[desertvixen]

The Utah mission is the hardest. Everyone there is either mormon or educated enough to have good reasons to not be mormon.

Just laughing at the thought of Mormon missionaries rolling around Utah... at least in Las Vegas they have a steady influx of new people to work with! (Las Vegas Native, been watching the missionary show since I was in grade school)

[Morton Fan]

Just laughing at the thought of Mormon missionaries rolling around Utah... at least in Las Vegas they have a steady influx of new people to work with! (Las Vegas Native, been watching the missionary show since I was in grade school)

The Mormon Missionaries (we call them "Mobots") troll my (Utah) neighborhood daily ... it seems to consist mainly of going to people's houses to eat.

[countressrascal]

The Mormon Missionaries (we call them "Mobots") troll my (Utah) neighborhood daily ... it seems to consist mainly of going to people's houses to eat.

I live in rural AZ in a community that is majority Mormon and there are missionaries here. Big joke they are the ones that could not cut it any other place.

[B5SnowDog]

The Mormon Missionaries (we call them "Mobots") troll my (Utah) neighborhood daily ... it seems to consist mainly of going to people's houses to eat.

Ha! My sister converted recently and invited missionaries to our parents' house on several occasions for Sunday lunch. After one group left, my grandmother said, "I think they go on missions for the free food."

[Rachel333]

From what I've heard Utah missions actually tend to be really successful. I guess people are more likely to join when they already know a lot of members. If I remember correctly, the Provo mission has the highest or one of the highest baptism rates.

[freejoytoo]

Whoever posted Mormon Mommy Wars--awesome link. I am reading the comments and it is like, "I accepted a calling I did not want and God gave me money for a car!" Another got a house out of the deal. Great insight into the LDS mind--do what the white men tell you and give them credit for every random good thing that happens to you.

Another thing which cracks me up are the people who say they got nervous because they were 'called' to be an organist or something because they can't play the piano and the priest didn't know. You'd think God would have taken that into account.

[DarkAnts]

The Mormon Missionaries (we call them "Mobots") troll my (Utah) neighborhood daily ... it seems to consist mainly of going to people's houses to eat.

My grandma always gets them to help her do yard work. They are too tired by the time they have finished helping her to do their talk.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Ha! My sister converted recently and invited missionaries to our parents' house on several occasions for Sunday lunch. After one group left, my grandmother said, "I think they go on missions for the free food."

I've read/heard that missionaries get very little money for food - something like $4.00 a day - because the members of the local ward are supposed to feed them.

[Deleted03]

I've read/heard that missionaries get very little money for food - something like $4.00 a day - because the members of the local ward are supposed to feed them.

I heard that the 2 years mandatory missions they have to pay 450$/month wherever you are on the globe.

[Beammeup]

He's so immature. It's really disgusting how enlightened he thinks he is, when he is clueless. And I too have a really hard time calling someone 15 years younger than I am "Elder". I slip constantly and call them "brother".

[SisiL78]

My grandma always gets them to help her do yard work. They are too tired by the time they have finished helping her to do their talk.

Your grandma is brilliant. I just shoo them away. Next time I'm going to get them to help me weed the garden!!! I will feed those guys though. 4 dollars a day is peanuts! Even that Foodstamp challenge that the Congresspeople took wa s4.50 a day and they, I assume, also had decent cookware and a whole kitchen setup. I'm going to guess that two teenagers who are only living someplace temporarily would not have the equipment necessary to cook money saving meals from their 4 bucks a day.

I guess such a meager allowance keeps them from having the money for fun stuff like coffee or alcohol or a music CD or something even worse like a movie ticket or taking a girl out on a date. Its smart to get fed by community members.... They can't do much with 120 a month, but they could still manage to have a teency bit of fun :-) Maybe that fun will show them that there's more to life than Joe Smith's teachings.

[SisiL78]

I heard that the 2 years mandatory missions they have to pay 450$/month wherever you are on the globe.

The missionaries pay that much to the church for the privilege? Or does the church pay that much to the missionaries to do their jobs? I can see the pooled 900 a month being okay for two thrifty people in some places. But, if you have to pay rent in Paris or NYC that's not sustainable even if you are super thrifty and willing to live in really crappy conditions. I can only see this extremely low budget as a way to keep the kids in line by giving them little financial opportunity to branch out. Going door to door all day and then having only a tiny bit of food that you can buy with your pennies is one surefire way of beating them down (having a constantly present minder to possibly narc on you is another way).

[Hane]

He's so immature. It's really disgusting how enlightened he thinks he is, when he is clueless. And I too have a really hard time calling someone 15 years younger than I am "Elder". I slip constantly and call them "brother".

If I ever met one, I'd call him "Kiddo," because he'd be young enough to be my grandson. :)

My sister had Mormon neighbors in her old neighborhood. The Utah-grown husband frequently expresses surprise that my BIL welcomed him to the neighborhood and invited them to dinner--"In Connecticut, of all places!". A few years back, he ran for local political office, and his interviews and flyers made much of his Mormon missionary work. He lost. I guess it never dawned on him that a fairly conservative Connecticut town would find that a bit odd.

[emmiedahl]

The missionaries pay that much to the church for the privilege? Or does the church pay that much to the missionaries to do their jobs? I can see the pooled 900 a month being okay for two thrifty people in some places. But, if you have to pay rent in Paris or NYC that's not sustainable even if you are super thrifty and willing to live in really crappy conditions. I can only see this extremely low budget as a way to keep the kids in line by giving them little financial opportunity to branch out. Going door to door all day and then having only a tiny bit of food that you can buy with your pennies is one surefire way of beating them down (having a constantly present minder to possibly narc on you is another way).

The parents have to pay for their child's mission. And it is considered almost-mandatory, so a lot of people struggle to make it happen. Having two children on mission could bankrupt you, it seems!

About the piano/organ thing: One woman on the mommy wars blog gives an example that her sister was called to be church pianist even though she had never touched a piano. She had mastered playing with both hands after two years, at which point her husband left her and she was able to support her family giving piano lessons.

How much do you make giving piano lessons after two years of playing? My daughter's main violin teacher is a retired school music teacher who also played in the regional symphony for decades. He has been playing violin since he was a small child and spent a few years at a conservatory before going to college to get a teaching credential. I was under the impression that you needed extensive training yourself (and an actual PIANO) in order to give lessons. I took several years of piano and can plunk out Fur Elise if you are not picky about timing; anyone want to pay me for lessons? :lol:

[freejoytoo]

It just blew me away how some of the women said they felt too pressured and it was affecting their mental or physical health - or both - many of them new parents to then be told 'suck it up, it's an order from God! Emma Smith didn't complain!'

[DistantStar]

If a couple of years of figuring out an instrument is all it takes to teach music lessons then I should hang out my shingle as a voice teacher. I had a couple of years of actual lessons in college! That must qualify me.

I would shoo missinaries away if they showed up, but if it was really hot I'd offer them some water or something first. I don't want to be mean; they are so very young, even at their worst they don't have anything like the life experience to realize how asinine the whole Mormon missionary thing is. From what I've read on the ex-Mormon sites on missions they tend to go either super-Mormon afterwards, or else they run from the church as fast as they can.

[Jessica]

Having lived in Provo for a year, I can't begin to comprehend how anyone would want to join the church after knowing the Provoans. Rude, rude, rude, obnoxious, lacking all boundaries, smug, know-it-alls, rude, selfish, fake, ignorant (or in the Utah accent...ig-nernt), oh, did I mention rude?

[Samantha]

The missionaries pay that much to the church for the privilege? Or does the church pay that much to the missionaries to do their jobs? I can see the pooled 900 a month being okay for two thrifty people in some places. But, if you have to pay rent in Paris or NYC that's not sustainable even if you are super thrifty and willing to live in really crappy conditions. I can only see this extremely low budget as a way to keep the kids in line by giving them little financial opportunity to branch out. Going door to door all day and then having only a tiny bit of food that you can buy with your pennies is one surefire way of beating them down (having a constantly present minder to possibly narc on you is another way).

So according to this website: mormonmissionprep.com/preparing-for-a-mission/lds-mission-cost

You pay $400 a month to the church. The church then gives out what is needed by the various missionaries. So if you're in an area that would only require $350 a month, you pay the $400, and the extra $50 goes to other missionaries. So a sister missionary’s total cost for her 18 month mission would be $7,200 and for the men's mission it would be a total of $9,600.

So yeah, those poor guys have nothing going for them. I burned CDs for a few in my time. And would "accidently" leave the TV on if they were over for dinner. I was always the saddest for them when they didn't have the car when it snowed or rained or the weather was bad. And they could never get a ride from us, because we women and they could only be in the car if a third man was there.

Ugh, and don’t get me started on how a man NEEDS to go on a mission. I seriously have friends whose parents refused to help with college for their sons; they would ONLY pay for a mission. :roll: And a man who is not a returned missionary is pretty much worthless when it comes to looking for a mate.

Also, women are not required a mission. Actually in YW once, I was told that God intended for us women to stay home and find a mate. But sometimes God calls some women for a mission. And when I told my YW leaders that I was interested in joining the Peace Corps, they asked why would I want to do something like that?! A mission would be a much better choice because then I would be doing something great for the world.

[freejoytoo]

They weren't allowed in a car without another man?!

[Samantha]

They weren't allowed in a car without another man?!

No. A third man has to be present for the missionaries to enter a woman's home or car. So they'd have to ride their bikes or walk in the bad weather.

[freejoytoo]

Was it because they thought they'd get tempted or just because they thought it might be 'dangerous' or something?

[Samantha]

Was it because they thought they'd get tempted or just because they thought it might be 'dangerous' or something?

Nobody was ever able to give me a straight answer. I always heard from older leaders that it was for the protection of the woman to make sure the missionaries didn't rape her. Not that it'd be much safer with three men instead of two.

But then I also heard from younger people that it was so the missionaries wouldn't be tempted or commit any sins, like kissing a woman (or more) or drinking anything they weren't supposed to or watching anything that would be bad.

[Morton Fan]

Well, Mormon missionaries aren't really supposed to be without their 'companion' (missionary partner) anyway, so that would be part of the rule against driving one-on-one with a woman (the companion is always the same gender).

[Samantha]

Well, Mormon missionaries aren't really supposed to be without their 'companion' (missionary partner) anyway, so that would be part of the rule against driving one-on-one with a woman (the companion is always the same gender).

No, not one-on-one riding with a woman, it was with the two missionaries and a third man. And then the two missionaries had to sit in the back by each other. So, that is what confused and irritated me.

[jjmennonite]

OK, so they can't get in a car with a woman, but they go to a woman's house to proselytize? I found a book of mormon in my house about 5 years ago, when my daughter was 14. I asked her about it and she said the missioneries gave it to her. I was very pissed off at 1) her, for letting 2 strange men into the house and 2) them, for coming into the house where a 14 year old was home alone.